Splinter's Nightmare
by Roniturtle
Summary: A nightmare keeps Splinter awake. Don't own the turtles or Splinter. Maybe one day.


Splinter"s Nightmare

He sat at the kitchen table nursing a very cold cup of tea he made two hours ago. It was close to four in the morning, he'd been up since two with the nightmare still vivid in his mind. As he sat there listening to the quiet noises of the sewer, he inwardly cursed himself for being weak and unable to fight his enemy before losing himself to him.

"Twice," he told himself angrily, "not once but twice I let my mind be taken and controlled by another!" He made a fist and slammed it hard on the table.

Splinter sighed deeply and rubbed his temples. Even though his enemy was not able to make him carry out the horrifying deed of taking away the most precious things in his life, his nightmare did and this new one carried it much further then just killing his sons. This time he'd killed those who had befriended his family as well.

"But it was just a nightmare." He told himself, "This time the rat king is _gone_ , my sons are safe, our friends and the rest of the humans are safe." He looked up at the ceiling. "I should not be dwelling on this." He tried to will himself to go back to bed but the thought of the possibility of the nightmare coming back kept him in his seat.

It was still so clear. The nightmare started out like before, fighting his sons, throwing them around like ragdolls. His mind screaming at him to stop but his body continuing to do as the Rat King commanded. Taking his katana to Leonardo. Looking down at his son. His voice begging him to stop, to remember who he was, his eyes, full of fear as he looked up at him, pleading with him. He did stop, he told himself, he did not continue to hurt his son, or any of them for that matter. He fought Falco for control and won, but each time, the nightmare took him on a different turn and he could not stop himself. He had killed them, he heard their screams, their cries. Saw their blood on his hands. And now this new nightmare showed him killing others too. April, Casey and the other humans. Their blood, their cries, their eyes pleading, begging for mercy. The worse part; he SAW himself by Falco, smiling at the carnage and devastation, and in his mind, he LIKED it.

He shook his head violently from side to side, as if that simple act would remove the nightmare permanently from his mind. But it did not. He continued to see it all, feel it all and worse yet, ENJOY it all. He clenched his fist in determination. He would not allow this weakness to continue. His sons would be up soon for practice and they would expect him to be his usual calm self and help them get through another day. He sighed again and looked down at the ice cold tea still in his hands and a soft smile formed on his lips.

He heard the silent feet coming. The feet that tried so hard to blend in with their surroundings so as not to awake the rest of the residence of the lair. He knew of only one other who could be so quiet and yet be so quick. He was coming toward him, toward the kitchen, interrupting his thoughts, thankfully.

"It is very early Leonardo." He told him just as Leo pulled the curtain back. "Why are you not still in bed?"

"Probably the same reason you aren't Sensei." He told him quietly. "Just having a hard time sleeping and thought a cup of tea would help." He looked up at the clock and shrugged. "That or just get me going for the day." At quarter of five in the morning, it was useless to attempt to continue to sleep when they got up at six for practice anyway.

Leo took the kettle and heated the water. He made not one but two cups of tea. He gently took the cup in Splinter's hands and replaced it with a fresh cup. He sighed as he sat down across from his master and father.

"Actually Sensei," He began before taking a sip. "I had another nightmare." Splinter looked up at his most prized student and waited for him to continue, he was happy to know his sons would come to him with not only their troubles but their worries as well.

"I know you defeated the Rat King and I know he is gone, this time for good." Leo took a heavy breath. "But I still keep seeing him." Leo looked at Splinter. "I keep seeing him controling you, forcing you to hurt my brothers." He looked down at his tea sitting on the table. "To hurt me."

Splinter placed one paw on his son's hands. The heat from the cup warming their hands in the coolness of the lair. "I can't stop seeing my tanto blade inches from my face, us fighting over it." Leo continued, his voice slightly shaking. "I can't stop seeing you fighting me." His voice was now a whisper.

"My son." Splinter began. " I too continue to see Falco controlling me, but these are just nightmares, dreams that continue to haunt us only because we allow them too." He took a final sip of his tea. "But we are stronger then this. We fought the Rat King, we fought his tyranny and together we won." He smiled gently at Leo who looked up at him with hopeful eyes. "As long as we continue to fight evil together, no one can make us do anything to hurt each other." He stood up and placed his now empty cup in the sink. He turned back to Leo, " This is a truth no one can take away from us." He walked toward the entrance of the kitchen. "When the nightmares come, we must remember we have something no enemy of ours has." Leo looked up at Splinter in curiousity. Splinter smiled and placed a paw on his shoulder. "We have the love of each other." They stared at each other for a moment longer before Splinter walked away.

Leo smiled and watched as Splinter walked out of the kitchen. Splinter headed toward the dojo to begin preparing for today's lessons, confident in the knowledge that both he and his sons would be able to sleep easier from now on.


End file.
